The present application generally relates to identifying incompatible manufacturing tools. More particularly, the present application relates to identifying a combination of incompatible manufacturing tools that function together in a sequential process to produce a product, when each of those manufacturing tools individually, on average, works properly, but the sequential combination of the tools together produces bad or unacceptable product.
In current microelectronic products manufacture, for example, semiconductor wafer products, it is often the case that such products are produced by a sequential process involving tools that function in a sequence combination. For example, wafers may be produced according to a process that includes at least two sequential steps involving a tool A in a step 1, and a tool B in a step 2, for example. At various times, tool A implemented in the first step may comprise a tool such as A1, A2 A3, while tool B implemented in the second step may be a tool such as B1, B2. While each of these various tools, may individually function properly, on average, it is the case that wafers produced by a particular combination of tools that act in the sequence, e.g., A3, B2 that may produce unacceptable product, i.e., products that do not perform within a normal or acceptable range, on average, e.g., as determined according to certain performance criteria, e.g., wafer yield, speed.
Currently used analytical methods or procedures do not identify manufacturing tools that operate independently to produce acceptable product within a normal range, on average, but, when performing in a sequential combination, produce unacceptable product.
It would be highly desirable to provide the ability to identify manufacturing tools that operate independently, i.e., within a normal range, on average, but, when performing in a sequential combination, produce unacceptable product.